Cccktstrtrctxchsr of boot-trees



UNITED STATES PATENT,

DAVID HASTINGS, OF DEERFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONSTRUCTION 0F BOOT-TREES.

Specication of Letters Patent. No. 514, dated .December 15, 1.837.

T 0 all whom it may concern Bc it known that I, DAvrD HAsTINes, of Deerfield, in the county of Franklin and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful improvement to common boottrees for the purpose of enlarging and contracting the same, so as to have the boot more easily and p erfectly fitted to it by means of a plate of iron or other metal attached to each side of said tree, as hereinafter described.

The boot-tree in common use, consists of three parts or pieces-the front piece, the back piece, and the slide or middle piece, which is formed between the other two, to strain them apart. For. these I claim nothing, but the following is a full and exact description of my improvement.

In place of the said slide or middle piece of the tree, two pieces of wood A A which, put together, shall be of the form and size of the said slide, or they will be as if the said slide were sawed in two, lengthwise,

in the center. Two plates of iron B B are made, (or of .other metal) of nearly the length of the boot-tree, and about three inches wide, and so molded or shaped as to lit the two sides, (right and left) of the tree. One of these plates is firmly screwed to the outer edge of each portion of the center piece, or slide sawed in two in such form as that when the tree is put together the edge of each plate extends on to the front piece of the tree about three eighths of an inch, and onto the backpiece of the tree about two incehs and five eighths or the rest of the plate. And the two middle pieces, or slide sawed in two, as aforesaid, are hung together with butts C C in the center of the tre-e. The edges of the plates are filed thin.

In order to give my said improvement its best operation, I will describe the tumbleil D, a part of the boot tree now in use and will direct the operation of it, in application to my improvement, though for the article itself and its u se I claim no right of patent. This tumbler is a piece of iron five `eighths of an inch square, and bent so as nearly to form a right angle, one limb thereof being longer than the other, and the two, measuring about four inches in length. The said tumbler is fastened into the back piece of the tree near its center, and is hung on a pin which passes through the said back piece and through the shorter limb of the tumbler` near the end thereof. The inner part of 'the tumbler is inform of a Curve and not of an angle, and the tumbler is operated on by a Screw E running down the back piece of the tree, and striking the inner part of said tumbler, which forces the longest limb of it downward and this separates the main piece of the tree vand gives a suflicient strain to the boot in which it may be inserted.

DAVID HASTINGHS. Vitnesses:

Gmo. GRENNELL, Jr,

CHARLES B. PARTRIDGE.

The object of the improvement, is to save i the usel of wedges in the common tree, and to cover the space which would occur by the spread of the front andy back part of the tree, when operated upon by means ofr the screw and tumbler aforesaid. The iron sides are designed to cover the spaces aforesaid. is to save laborin treeing the boot, and also Another subject of the improvement.

to make a ysmooth surface for finishing 0E attached to the slide, will cover the space made by the separating of the frontand back parts of the tree.

References: A, A, the two pieces of wood forming the slide; B, B, the iron sides attached to the sides or edges of the slide, and claimed as an improvement; C, C, the butts holding together the middle pieces or slide 2 claimed as an improvement; D, the tumbler; E, the screw.

What I claim as my` improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The slide divided longitudinally and connected together with the butts, and the iron plates attached to the said sides in manner before described.

YDAVID HAsTINes.

Witnesses:

ALMON BRAINARD, GEO. GRENNELL, J r. 

